The preseason draft consists of 35 rounds. Teams draft in the inverse order of the previous season's standings, except for teams that made the playoffs, which draft in the inverse order of how they did in the playoffs. In other words, the team with the worst record drafts 1st, the league champion drafts 20th, the league runner-up drafts 19th, etc. If two or more teams finish with identical records, the team with the worst run differential picks first among the tied teams in odd-numbered rounds, while the reverse is true in even-numbered rounds. The draft begins two weeks after Scoresheet defensive ratings are published (see Section XIII for exact dates) and is held via e-mail. If owners know they will be away from e-mail for an extended period of time (i.e., more than 3-4 hours), they are encouraged to leave a brief list with another owner. If an owner fails to make his pick after 12 hours (assuming the ability to make picks between 8 AM and 10 PM local time), his turn in the draft is skipped and the next draftee is "on the board." The skipped owner may then make his pick at any time.
All owners must pay league fees (see Section IX) directly to Scoresheet prior to the beginning of the draft.
In 1999 the league shall expand to 20 teams. Due to expansion, and to the unusually high turnover this year, there will be a re-entry draft to distribute talent among the new teams; in addition, the preseason draft will be conducted in a manner which deviates somewhat from the above format.
[Note. This refers to the 1998-99 off-season; for the 1999-2000 off-season, there are only 3 new owners. Otherwise the same rules, dates (plus 1 year, of course), etc., apply.]
The 11 new owners, as well as any existing owners who wish to relinquish their teams, will participate in an expansion draft to be held via e-mail beginning 12/18/98. Participants in the draft must visit the Virtual Dice web site at http://www.irony.com/mailroll.html by 12/14/98 to determine the draft order. Each team may draft up to a total of 16 players to be selected from a pool comprising only those players on relinquished teams. The draft will proceed in a serpentine fashion, with the team with the first pick in the first round having the last pick in the second round and vice versa. The draft will continue until all new teams have selected 16 players or until the last new team wishing to make a selection has done so, whichever comes first. Expansion picks may be traded, both among expansion owners and between expansion and existing owners.
The draft will proceed as described above, with the following exceptions:
There are four supplemental drafts to be held at various times (see Section XIII) during the season, with the purpose of enriching the previously drafted rosters. Each draft comprises 3 rounds, for a total of 12 rounds of drafting.
Draft order is determined the same way as for the preseason draft, but using the records from the set of results immediately preceding the draft. The first supplemental draft is a snake draft (e.g., if a team drafts first one round, that team drafts last the next round); all subsequent drafts are straight drafts (e.g., if a team drafts first one round, that team drafts first the next round).
Drafts begin on Tuesday evening, after results are received, and must be completed by the following Monday morning so picks can be transmitted to Scoresheet and be used immediately. To ensure that drafts move in a timely fashion, a schedule with times will be used. Any picks not made by the deadline will be made by the commissioner according to the Scoresheet default method.
All players in either North American major league, all National Association leagues, independent leagues, foreign leagues, college, high school, or anywhere else are eligible to be drafted.
Trades are permitted during the season, prior to the Scoresheet-mandated trade deadline (generally around September 1), and at any time during the off-season. All trades are subject to approval of the commissioner or other appointed agent (see Section VIII, paragraph 3).
Trading of draft picks and of protection slots, regular and rookie, is permitted. There is no limit to the number of picks and/or slots that may be exchanged in a given trade. Approved ruling: Dan Young trades Matt Stairs and his round 16 pick to Theron Skyles for Jaret Wright and his round 10 pick. Dan may use the round 10 pick he acquired as either a draft pick or a major league protection slot. Theron may protect up to 9 major leaguers. If he protects fewer than 9, he forfeits the right to draft in round 10. For example, if Theron protects only 7 major league players, he may pick in rounds 8 and 9, but not 10. Trading of picks and/or slots more than a year in advance is prohibited. The league rules regarding this are identical to those outlined by Scoresheet in their information packet, available at their web site.
The maximum number of protectable major leaguers shall be equal to the number of round 1-10 picks/slots originally alloted a team, plus any additional round 1-10 picks/slots it has acquired, less any it has traded away. Any round 1-10 picks/slots traded prior to the time protection lists are due shall retain all properties thereof; that is, they may be used as either picks or slots. Round 1-10 picks/slots must be traded from the end; i.e., if you have all 10 picks/slots and wish to trade one, you must trade the round 10; if you now wish to trade another pick/slot, you must trade the round 9; and so on.
All major league players, minor league players, draft picks, and protection slots that are property of a given team may be traded. Any number of the preceding may be exchanged in any given trade. The only restriction on trading of draft picks is that made by Scoresheet; i.e., no trading of picks more than 1 year from the current season.
Future considerations are allowed, provided they are clearly defined in the original terms of the trade as submitted to the commissioner and/or the league as a whole. For example, it is acceptable to say, "I trade Sammy Sosa for Barry Larkin with the condition that Larkin not be transferred to my team until the conclusion of the current season." It is not acceptable to say, "I trade Sammy Sosa for a player to be named later."
All trades must be reported immediately, i.e., prior to the following week when said trade would go into effect, to both Scoresheet and the league commissioner. When deals involving draft picks and/or protection slots are reported, the standard Scoresheet protocol must be followed in idenitifying the picks and/or slots:
There are four divisions, each comprising five teams. Random realignment of divisions occurs prior to odd-numbered seasons (e.g., 1999, 2001, etc.). Realignment is announced no later than 2 weeks after the playoffs of the preceding season.
Protection lists are due to the commissioner's office 1 week (7 days) after the Scoresheet defensive ratings are made available and 1 week (7 days) prior to the preseason draft. Each team protects a maximum of 10 major league and 4 minor league players (as defined in Section XII), unless it has traded away or for additional protection slots of either type. If so desired, more minor leaguers may be protected with major league protection slots. Each protected player is in lieu of a draft choice. Major league protection slots correspond to first 10 rounds of the preseason draft; minor league slots correspond to the final 4 rounds. For example, if a team were to protect 7 major leaguers and 2 minor leaguers, that team would begin drafting in round 8 (rounds 1-7 being used to protect the 7 major leaguers) and cease drafting in round 33 (rounds 34 and 35 being used to protect the 2 minor leaguers).
Players may be retained from year to year, indefinitely, provided no more than the alloted number of major and minor league slots (including those acquired or surrendered via trade) are used.
The top team in each of the four divisions makes the playoffs; the two non-divisional winners with the best regular season records also make the playoffs as wildcards. All teams that make the playoffs are seeded according to regular season record, with the best playoff-bound team seeded #1 and the worst playoff-bound team seeded #6. In the first round, the #1 and #2 seeds have byes, while the #3 and #6 seeds and the #4 and #5 seeds play each other. In the second round, the highest-seeded and lowest-seeded teams remaining play each other. The other two teams remaining play each other. The winner of the two second round series play each other for the League Championship.
Geoff Young is commissioner of The Roaring Twenty. Gary Johnson is deputy commissioner. The deputy commissioner retains the right to act in place of the commissioner if the latter is unavailable. All rules questions should be referred to either the commissioner or the deputy commissioner.
The commissioner is responsible for (a) facilitating, or ensuring that someone else facilitates, all drafts; (b) reporting the results of these drafts to Scoresheet; (c) initiating, tallying, and reporting results of votes; (d) mainting the league constitution; (e) determining and announcing important dates (see Section XIII); (f) keeping track of all draft picks/protection slots and/or future considerations (contingent on outcome of "multi-part trading debate; see Section IVB); (g) communicating with Scoresheet with regard to preseason rosters, supplemental draft results, playoff format, and league setup and division alignments.
Additionally, the commissioner has the ability to review and veto any trade if petitioned by another owner or if he himself feels it necessary. The deputy commissioner has check power on the commissioner's trades and the executive council (see Section VIIIA) has veto power over trades between the commissioner and deputy commissioner. This is a duty which should not be taken lightly. Also, if the league is unhappy with a trade, it can override the ruling by a 3/4 (i.e., 15 out of 20) vote of league owners.
In all matters in which a vote is necessary, the commissioner has exactly 1 vote, the same as any owner.
The commissioner retains that title for 1 year. During the season, a new commissioner is chosen by the following method: There is 1 week for nominations, followed by 1 week for voting. If there is no majority winner (e.g., A gets 8 votes, B gets 7 votes, C gets 5 votes), then a run-off election of the top two vote getters is held the next week. The new commissioner assumes that title exactly 1 week after the conclusion of the World Series. All relevant materials should be transferred at that time. The new commissioner may also then appoint a deputy commissioner.
In addition to the commissioner and the deputy commissioner, there is an "executive council" comprising a variable number of owners (depending on interest, time constraints, etc.) who (a) assist in the interpretation of league rules if called upon to do so by the commissioner and/or the deputy commissioner, (b) assist in running the drafts; ideally each member of the council will be responsible for running at least one supplemental draft, and (c) otherwise assist the commissioner and/or the deputy commissioner in matters pertaining to the league.
Members of the Executive Council, except as specifically outlined above, are in all respects treated the same as any other owners.
Standard Scoresheet fees apply. Franchise fees for 1999 are $79.00 (including the group discount). Lineup fees are $5.00 for both sides of the lineup sheet and $3.00 for one side only. All fees should be paid directly to Scoresheet. Refer to the Scoresheet draft packet or visit their web site for more details.
League rules may be amended at any time. A 3/4 majority (i.e., 15 out of 20 owners) is necessary to overturn rules which are already in the league constitution. For all other rules, a simple majority (i.e., 11 out of 20 owners) is necessary. Votes must be sent either to the commissioner and/or the deputy commissioner privately or to the league as a whole. In any vote, unless explicity stated otherwise, the polls close after 7 days. At such time, the commissioner then tallies the votes and announces the results. If fewer than 10 people vote on a given proposal, that proposal is killed and must be introduced again.
Any amendment of league rules during a given season takes effect immediately following that season. While anyone may suggest a proposal, it is ultimately the commissioner's responsibility to call for a vote.
If an owner leaves for any reason, any and all remaining members of the league are welcome to solicit replacements. Persons known to existing owners are preferable, although solicitation of potential owners from the Scoresheet web site bulletin board as well as Scoresheet-Talk is also acceptable.
The league plays a balanced schedule, to be determined by Scoresheet.
The official web site of The Roaring Twenty is at http://members.aol.com/BLRoaring20/ and is maintained by Geoff Young. Administrative documents, including the league history, league constitution, draft results, etc., may be found there. Additionally, owners are invited to share their lineups, stories, biographies, etc., for inclusion in the league web site.
If an owner plans to leave The Roaring Twenty, he should do so as soon as possible following the season to give the league sufficient time to find a replacement.
Minor leaguers are defined according to Scoresheet's rules; i.e., pitchers who have worked 25 or fewer innings and position players who have accumulated 70 or fewer at bats (NOT plate appearances) are considered rookies.
[Note. Dates for 1999-2000 will be posted shortly.]